Apparatus for classifying solid materials.



' PATENTBD MAY 26, 1908.

, I R. B. TROTTIER. I APPARATUS FOR GLASSIFYING SOLID MATERIALS.

APPLICATION I'ILED APR.1B. 19 07.

Mar 7% 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v w an 3.

No. 888,767; PATENTED MAY-26, 1908.

R. E. TROTTIBR. APPARATUS FOR GLASSIFYING SOLID MATERIALS.

APPLIUATION FILEDAPR. 18,1901.

No. 888,767. PATENTED MAY 26; 1903.

I R. E. TROTTIERi APPARATUS FOR GLASSIPYING SOLID MATERIALS.

APPLIOATIOH FIQ BD 1 3.18, WIT.

4 SHEETB-SEEET s'.

'7 c u em a a a a u c PATENTED MAY 26, 1908 V r ill.

3. E. TEO TTIER.,\ APPARATUS FOR GLASSIFY-ING SOLID MATERIALS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 18, 1907.

Tavexafwl- 6 0/36 7 film/W Ail/MW? RENE EMILE TRO'ITIER, OFHUSSEI'N-DEY, ALGERIA.

APPARATUS FOR GLASSIFYING SOLID MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application flledApril 18, 1907. Serial No. 368,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, RENE EMILE TROTTIER,

citizen of the Re ublic of France, and resi- Algeria, engineer, have inI by the Word equivalence, it ma be said that two bodies are equivalentW on notwithstanding that they are of different specific gravity, theirlinear dimensions and their resistance to the medium in which theydescend are such that both bodies arrive atthe same moment at a givenscent; in other words, the odies are equiva lent when the resistance ofthe the descent of one compensates for the difference between thespecific avityof this one and that of the other. descending in the samemedium. may be equivalent if they present to the action of the mediumthe same resistance although their volume may be very d'ifi'erent.

The object oi the present improvements is tofacilitate theclassification. and to increase the accuracy and sensitiveness of theapparaus by separating moresharplythe classifica- I tion by equivalenceIrorn the classification b densit and b rendering more uniformthefeeding and distributing oi the ore in the ap aratu's. They also relateto severald'e-v 'tai s having reference moreparticularly to the use ofautomatic fluid-tight boxes for discharging the classified minerals, andto the method of oscillating the column of water of the apparatus incases oltreatmeut of fine and adhesive mater-i; i.

he classifying tube is composed oi an uprmr portion free from anyinternalorgan, designed to cl'l'ect a prelin'iinary sop ration of thebodies by equivalence by the action oi their own descent, and of aseries o'lsuporimposcd identical classifying elements romprisiug partswhich serve to regulate the course or the classifying current in orderto cause it to produce a determined. deviation. up n each oi" thespecies of the bodies to be oint of their de- I medium to '1 ins twobodiesv vmay be closed by sliding -shutters j.

linear in on) classified, and thus to se 'arate them according to theirdensities. n this arrangement, the ore is charged into thetube atregular and adustable intervals by a distributor situated at the upperpart, while a distributing subdivider situated sifying element serves tospread this are in uniform sheets and to distributeuina suit able mannerthe constituent sheets.

In the accompanying drawings Figure -1' is a diagrammatic verticalsection of a classifying apparatus according to the invention. Fig.2 isa horizontalsection on the line A-B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is va art verticalsection of thetube illustrating t e mode of classifioation. Fig, 4 is adetail view illustrating the arrangement for removing the classifiedmatter, which consists of an air-tight box acting as an automatic ,emtying device.

Figs. 5 and 6 are res ective y detail views illustrating two mod'cations Of lJhG,dBVIlC8 for producin oscillation of the column of Waterwhen ely divided and adhesive materials are being treated. Fig. 7 is amodification of the apparatus when the classification is effected byair. Fig. 8 is an enlar ed view in transverse section through theistributing subdivide-r. Fig. 9 is a face View of the same Fig. 10is anenlarged face view of the riflledseparator and t rottlmg flap,

and Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of the same from front to back. i

The distributer consists of a drum shaped like a truncated cone a ofwire gauze o'r erforated The ore to be classified is introduced'in'tothis drum through an'axially situated gutter 0; Around the drum aand fixed thereto is a. acliet d lia'vingat equal distances from eachother openings 6 which 'llhis distributor is lor'the purpose of dividingup and diluting the ore to be clussii ied. Itdischarges into theapparatu; at regular intervals oi time, Iougoror Hili tor according tothe 'speoil with whichthe jaekctd rotates, and ni'coif'ding to thenumber a-il' opcuin g: which are, iulcovoredl qunnlitios of. oresobstziulinllyunil'orm. 'i

- 'llw ('lu il'ying tube is prelerably rectisoiztion; its width isafunction ol' the sin of the ore mtrier-treatment, and its length HI].section is a function ofthc power er bodies in these.

metal rotating at uniform spec on its axis and partially immersediii-the classitying current, in this case awater current, up to thelevelb.

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out utof theapp aratus. Its \iseig. which .depe ds closely upon thc f'twdi cnsions aforesaid, is pr portionate to tihe degree of "clas ficationb e uivalence which is to be attained; The tribe consists of identicalclassifying elements 9, and of an extension h arranged above the topclassifying element. The ore char ed by the distributor, classifiesitself by equivalence in this extension, and allits constituents thusarrive successively and in thcirorder at the classifying elements insuch a manner as to enable these tojwork to thebcst advantage. r

Above the upper element gis a distributing subdivider consisting of aninclined table .0, rovided with oints j arranged quincunxia] y. This subivider serves to equalize and to spread the sheet of ore discharged bythe distributor, and to form it into a layer of completely uniformthickness, presenting always the same resistance to the action of theclassifying current. According tothe size of the ore treated the pins 9'are more or less spaced a art.

The c assifyin elements 9 which are superposed in en cient numberaccording to the result to be obtained and the number of s ecies to beseparated, have at each enda ange whereby they can be connected togatheror with the upper extension. Their mternalsurfaces are accd and one ofthem carries a'shoe in acting as a controlling device and verticallymovable within the tube. This shoe can be fixed at any desired positionby an appropriate device. Each element has a flap m hinged on an axisand capable of being turned on the latter from without the ap aratus soas tofchange its inclination." This ap may have ribs or riffles normalto the direction of the axis at and the deeper the coarser the ore undertreatment. The shoe 7c and the flap m are for the purpose of throttlingmore or less the classif iug current so as to accentuate or diminish t cdeviation 45 .whichthis currentproduces on thecourse of the substancesclassified which are descendthe tube at a certaiirvelocity.

i he bent plates 0 uide the ore which passes each element an at the sametime diroot the course of the classifying current. Vanes prevent, whenthe operation is norncl, this currentfrom diverting the ore along theseplates and compel it to assume a proper direcac The vanes can be turnedon an 56 axis and are independent of each other in the 'erent elements.The vertical portion of the directing plates 0 maybe provided at alleventsin the upper-elementsgin this case only the-first,withhoripontal'ins 1' arranged quincunxially and 'havi'n tl ie function of 1 scattering.the or :a conducting th suming che ementlhas ac ut'e" assified materialto he seems? classifying element has achute s for the a..- charge of thepure material. This bottmn element is also connected with the admissionpi as t for the air or the Water under pressure v iich is to constitutethe classifying current and escapes by the top chute s at the level I).The materials discharged through the chutes s and s are in the exampleshown received in elevators a which bring them up to the top level abovethe water.

Instead of elevators there may be used,

simple boxes tightly closed and having an automatic discharge or not.Fig. 4 shows an example of this arrangement. The chute lapses. and thematerial escapes laterally from the bottom of. the box. when the latterhas been unloaded the bellows expands again and'closes the bottom of thebox. The discharge is thus automatic. If a tight box without anautomatic discharge is used, it may be provided with an air-lockchenilmr to allow of the material being removed with .out dischargingthe column of water in the apparatus. p The a paratus operates asfollows -As- For example. that the apparatus is being Worked with waterand by an ascend ing current, the valve which closes the pipe at isfirst opened, and as soon as Water flows through the chute s thedistributor is started. The ore then falls through the openings 6 inuniform sheets into the extension it be ing here preliminarilyclassified by cquiva 1c various constituents thus arrive lence; 'Talready separated on the table 'i where the descending sheet is spreadand equalized before it enters into the, classifying elements. There,under the. infidence of their speed, and under the action of'theclassifying current controlled by the respective positions of the shoeIt and of the fia in, theuniforin sheet 3/ (Fig. 3) is latera 1ydiverted and forms a curvilinear sheaf y having the point lot the shoeis for its summit; and accordingly as the distance between the shoe andthe flap m is reduced or increased, the cheat thus formed .18 *increasedor diminished.

The progress of the classifying current is indrcated by the arrows inFig. 3, and it will be seen thatby modifying the form of the sheaf onecanarrestat, or allow to pass each elemerit, the .giesired substance orsubstances with absolute precision, the separation. being reflected;inthe current itself, and-therefore practically without any resistinfriction lniinormal operation, the enhancer iu. the mply diverted moreor less from their original direction, but are not carried aiong direeaid elernents' ccu'iprising a vertically movable regulating shoeand anad ustable separating plate or :l'lap located, below and arranged. toWmll'. in conjunction with the shoe to regulate the force and directionof the el ying current, a flap for regulating the rmtput, and. meausjforsecuring the roper tiou ol' the classifying current, ant parts lorreceiving and discharging the classified materials.

3. Elk classil'ying aaparatus coin rising a vertical tube, means "orcausing ac assifying current to pass tllerethrough, a distributerlocated at the upper part oi the tube and consisting of a rotatn'igperforated drum surrounded by a easing fixed to said drum and formedwith longitudinal a ertures through which the ore to be classifie fallsin sheets at more or less close intervals, a tubular element free froman internal. organ, for classifying by erpiivalence, a distributingdivider serving to regulate the descending sheets of ore, andconsisting'of an inclined table iurnislunl with pins, means fordeflecting the ore liilt rally under the two'fold action oi the ct:lying current and of their own vellurity, and arts for discharging andreceiving the classi ed materials..

a. bias ying apparatus comprising a .3 vertical tube, means lor causinga currentof water to llow therethrimgh in a suitable direction, adistribut r for deliverin the mate a sto be cl led into the tribe, atubular churn l'rec ilrorn any internal organ, for clas y'ng the,materials by equivalence, a diatrib "u' q-ilivider at the base of saidelement, a sales of superposed classifying elemerits for classitlyingby" density located be low the tubular elen'ient "for classifying byeqi'iivalraice, cl'iutes leadingfrom the said superposed densityclassifying elements,

fluid-tight bones arranged to receive the material from the chutes andyielding countcrbalaneed bottoms for said, boxes.

5. A classifying a )pa ratus com rising a vertical tube, means orcausing a c assifying current to flow tlierethrough, a distributer fordelivering the material into the tube, a tubular element free from anyinternal organ, for receiving the material from the distributer, adistributingdivider at the base of said tubular element; a series ofsuperposed densit classifying elements, means for receiving water toflow thcrethrough, a distrlbuter for delivering the material to beclassified into the tube, a tubular element free from any internalorgan, for receiving the material from the distributer, a distributingdivider at the base of said tubular element, a series of superposeddensity classifying elements, means for discharging and. receiving theclassified material and a movable surface arranged to press laterally onthe column of Water below said superposed-density classifying elementsfor the purpose of imparting pulsations of small amplitude to the columnof water and thereby gently oscillate the material during theclassifying operation.

'In testimony, that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two witnesses, this April third RENE EMILETROTTIER.

Witnesses:

Li'zon BRANDSTETTER, CHARLES Gun.

